As he sought to create a punch recipe for this year's Tales of the Cocktail Cocktail Competition, Chris Hannah, bartender at Arnaud's French 75 Bar, developed what he calls Ratafia Dram, a spiced rum mixture that combines sweetening and spices, two of the five classic ingredients in punches. (liquor, sugar or sweetening agent, citrus juice, tea or other spice, and water.) He named the syrup "Ratafia" after he read about their use in a 1915 edition of The Picayune's Creole Cook Book.

Hannah could not, however, use the syrup in his cocktail submission, so he shared it with The Times-Picayune instead. It is easily made at home Here is Hannah's recipe for Ratafia Dram and five punch drinks made with it, including the classic Brandy Milk Punch; as well as Blueberry-Lime; Raspberry-Lemon; Orange and Cranberry-Pineapple punches.

"I know others will find the joy I found when discovering Punch," Hannah writes..